Missing 2-year-old Minnesota boy drove himself to county fair on toy tractor

July 20, 2019

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Kris Allen(NEW YORK) -- A 2-year-old Minnesota boy who was reported missing was quickly found at a county fair — after making the trek in on his toy tractor, his family said Saturday.

Little Kenneth was riding around in his yard on his John Deere tractor Thursday night when he remembered that the Chisago County Fair was just a mere two blocks away, his mom, Lynn Allen, told ABC News.

Allen had promised him earlier in the week he'd get to go with his grandfather. Kenneth, though, took matters into his own hands.

"He was riding a tractor around the yard and, usually, he just stays in the yard," Allen said. "All of a sudden, it's pretty quiet."

Both she and her husband, Kris Allen, went outside but Kenneth was nowhere to be found.

"The worst possible thoughts go through your head," she said.

They immediately called 911.

But their panic quickly turned into relief when, about 10 minutes after informing authorities Kenneth was missing, the sheriff's office said they found him at the fair.

The Chisago County Sheriff's Office said it was one of the first calls they received at the start of the event.

"He drove down the frontage road at our house and drove around the parking lot and must have followed people right into the fair," Allen said.

She and her husband were mostly "baffled" by the whole incident.

"You can't really see the fair" from their home, Allen said. "Man, he's a smart little 2-and-half year old."

Kenneth's dad told ABC News his son was sad to see him arrive. He hadn't gotten to go on any rides before authorities picked him up.

His mom said they're planning to go to the fair as a family Saturday afternoon.

"But we did take the tractor away for a while," she added through a laugh. "Until mom is sure you're not gonna leave the yard."

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